Boone: Long starts sure would be nice
BOSTON — Aaron Boone would gladly accept a starting pitcher providing seven or even eight strong innings and keep him away from a trip to the mound to make a change early in the game.
“You know, one of our overwhelming strengths is our bullpen and when you get into these postseason games, especially when you have some off days sprinkled in you don’t worry as much about workload,’’ Boone said after his bullpen allowed one run in the final four innings of Saturday night’s 6-2 Game 2 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. “If you are lined up in the bullpen with the guys we are able to run out there we are going to do that on a lot of different nights.’’ Boone hooked Luis Severino in the fifth inning of the AL wild-card against the A’s, J.A. Happ in the third of Game 1 and replaced Masahiro Tanaka after five Saturday night when he allowed one run and three hits. None of those moves could be questioned, but if a starter is cruising with a lead Boone isn’t going to hook him just because the bullpen is loaded.
“I will be happy if a starter can go out there and give us seven or eight strong, I am in on that, too,’’ Boone said. “But we are going to be really aggressive, especially around off days when our guys we feel are rested and ready to go.’’
After a tough start to the ALDS in Game 1, rookie infielders Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar played better in Game 2 on Saturday night. Torres went 1-for-3 and scored a run and Andujar went 1-for-3.
Each player failed to deliver in the clutch in the Game 1 loss.
Torres struck out on a Brandon Workman fullcount breaking ball to leave the bases loaded in the sixth inning when the Yankees cut the deficit to 5-2. He fired the bat to the ground as he walked away from the plate. “The last pitch he threw me was really good, his best breaking ball of the night,’’ Torres said before Saturday night’s 6-2 Yankees win in Game 2. “[Friday night] is past. I hope I get the same opportunity tonight to help my team.’’
Turn the page and helping his team are staples of Torres’ attitude.
“[Friday night] was for me a bad night. I struck out with the bases loaded and we lost the game in the playoffs,’’ Torres said. “I am focused to do my job and to help my team.’’
In the AL wild-card game against the A’s, Aaron Boone defensed for Andujar in the sixth inning with Adeiny Hechavarria and did the same Saturday night.
While Tyler Wade, Kyle Higashioka and Luis Cessa are working out in Tampa in case they are needed due to an injury Sonny Gray returned to his Nashville area home to throw.
Neither the Yankees or Red Sox will work out Sunday at Yankee Stadium since each team wasn’t scheduled to arrive in New York until after 3 a.m. Sunday morning.
The only Yankee players who will be at the Stadium will be ones receiving medical treatment and Game 3 starter Luis Severino, Didi Gregorius and Aaron Hicks.